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Local dies in single-vehicle crash

A 90-year-old Wapakoneta woman died Thursday morning crossing Glynwood Road to collect mail or her morning newspaper from her mailbox.

Carolyn Blackburn, 803 Glynwood Road, apparently walked directly into the path a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Zachary Myers, of Wapakoneta, as he was driving east on Glynwood Road at approximately 7 a.m., according to a news release from the Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP). Blackburn received life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Auglaize County Coroner Dr. Thomas Freytag.

“This is a real tragedy and is especially hard for the family and everyone involved with it being so close to Christmas,” Piqua Post Sgt. Joseph A. Gebhart said in the news release. “At this time, the investigation is still pending but there is no indication of any wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Myers.

“It appears Carolyn was returning from her mailbox and failed to see the vehicle coming down the road despite the road being level and the vehicle having its headlights activated.”

Blackburn, whose house is on the south side of the street, has a mailbox on the north side of the street and must cross to retrieve her mail or newspapers.

Gebhart indicated speed is not believed to be factor in the crash, however all factors in the crash will be reviewed for an accurate determination of the crash circumstances.

Myers is a 2012 graduate of Wapakoneta High School.

The OSHP Crash Reconstruction Unit was on the scene to offer technical assistance in the investigation.

Emergency medical personnel from the Wapakoneta EMS responded to the scene.

Police officers with the Wapakoneta Police Department, deputies with the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office and troopers with the Wapakoneta Post of the OSHP responded to the crash scene. A call went out at 6:56 a.m. on the scanner and the crash is estimated to have occurred at 6:54 a.m.

A visual of the scene showed the pedestrian was apparently hit on the south side of Glynwood Road. The vehicle was stopped in the eastbound lanes of the road. The victim’s shoes were still in the roadway, and the windshield of the vehicle sustained severe damage.

Due to the location of the crash, the city has jurisdiction on the north side of the roadway and the county and OSHP have jurisdiction on the south side.